


Conversations

by OreoLuvr13



Series: Post 9.6 Face It, You're Gorgeous [2]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Episode Fix-it, Family, Gallavich, M/M, Post -Episode: s9e13 Lost, Post-Episode: s09e06 Face It You're Gorgeous, Prison Endgame Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Protective Mickey Milkovich, bipolar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2019-10-10 06:47:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17421083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OreoLuvr13/pseuds/OreoLuvr13
Summary: A series of one-shots that take place after 9.6 Face It, You're Gorgeous. Just because Ian and Mickey may be behind bars doesn't mean that they are forgotten.





	1. Girl Advice

**Author's Note:**

> So I couldn't just let our boys go unheard from now that they are finally reunited behind bars. Here's a series one of conversations, or one shots that take place post 9.6 Face It, You're Gorgeous. Enjoy!

Carl looks around the prisoner visiting area anxiously as he waits for the prisoners to be brought in. He's no stranger to prisoner visiting rooms. While he was doing time in juvie Fiona, Debbie, and his brothers made frequent trips to see him. But this is only the second time that he has been on the other side of the glass.

It's been almost three months since Ian went in and Carl has only been here to see his brother once. When Ian first went in, Carl planned to make the trip to see him every week. But his desire to get into West Point and his relationship with Kelly began consuming every free minute he had and his plan to see Ian fell by the wayside. He wishes that he was here today to see Ian, but that's not the case. He's here for a different reason.

"You have got to be fuckin' joking."

Carl can't help but smirk when he sees the older man take his seat on the other side of the glass. "Hi, Mickey."

Mickey gives him the finger as he picks up the phone. "What the fuck do you want? The only Gallagher I want to see is back there," he says pointing to where he just came from.

"Nice to see you too," Carl says as he tales in Mickey's healing black eye. "How's Ian?"

Mickey huffs. "You can ask him your fuckin' self. I'm not his keeper."

Okay. Note to self. Mickey is still not into small talk. Even if it's about Ian.

"I kinda need your help," Carl asks.

"My help?" Mickey snickers. "Are you dealing again? Ian said you were done with that shit. If you started up again, I can't help you. I kinda lost any cred I had with my dealing connections."

Carl nods. He knows this already. Even though Mickey and his brother's relationship is pretty much legendary Southside lore now, it's still not openly talked about much. Only a small, select few feels comfortable enough to talk about it out in the open. It was only by chance that he walked in on Lip trying to reassure Fiona that Ian was okay. That he wasn't holding any ill will towards her for not going with them to bring Ian to jail. And that Mickey brokered some deal with the Feds that in exchange for information on some drug cartel that he was working with, he got to serve his time in any prison of his choice. He chose the same prison that Ian was sent to.

"It has nothing to do with drugs. I need some advice," Carl doesn't go into specifics right away. Aren't these conversations recorded?

"What the fuck about? You have like a gaggle of siblings to ask about shit."

"Gaggle? What the fuck is that? You reading Ian's books again?" Carl asks.

"Fuck off. What is this shit about?" Mickey asks impatiently.

"I need some girl advice," Carl says. Hoping Mickey picks up on what he is saying. Or not saying. He needs to know what to deal with this Kassidi mess now that her father has started noseying around.

"Girl advice? I know you repeated the third grade like three times. But you do know about your brother and me, right?" Mickey asks. "I'm the last person you should be going to about girl advice."

Why is Mickey making this so damn hard? Is he fucking with him? Carl can't very well come out and say, "How do you cover your tracks when you may be involved in your wife's possible/probable murder?"

"Well, I was going to go to Mandy because she has more experience dealing with this sorta thing. But I don't have her number."

Mickey looks at him confused but then it clicks. Mandy. Mandy ran down Karen when she was trying to get back with Lip and no one was none the wiser. As far as the residents of the Southside know, Karen was the unfortunate victim of a random hit and run.

Mickey smiles. He gets what Carl is asking him. "Main thing you have to do is make sure you dot you I's and cross your t's. Make sure there are no loose ends. They can't find what they're looking for if there is nothing to find."

"That's it?" Carl asks. He thought Mickey would have something more to say than that.

"That's it. If you do that, then you're golden. Is that it?" Mickey asks, clearly ready to leave.

Carl nods. "That's it."

Mickey nods as he goes to hang up the phone but Carl calls out before he can.

"What now? You want me to tell you how to tie your shoes?"

"No…um. Can you not tell Ian about this?" Carl asks. The last thing Ian needs to worry about is what's going on outside these prison walls, while he's stuck behind them. He needs to only worry about himself and no one else. "I don't want him to know."

"I won't say shit."

Carl lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

Mickey holds up his finger. "On one condition. Get your brother to put some cash in my commissary account. I have like a buck in it."

Carl nods. Even if Lip doesn't do it, he will. He'll find some way to get some cash. "You'll have something in it by the end of the day."

"Later, Gallagher." Mickey says standing up.

With Mickey gone, Carl quickly makes his exit. Grinning, he already knows what he has to do. He knows that he has to make sure that Griffin won't be a problem. That he won't say anything to implicate him with Kassidi's disappearance. Carl already has a plan and he's pretty sure that Kelly will help him out.

XXXXX

"Hey," Mickey greets as he enters his cell. Ian's sitting on Mickey's bunk with a copy of "The Jungle" in his lap.

"Mick," Ian greets tiredly, folding over the page's corner to mark his place before setting the book aside.

Mickey can't help it when his eyes go to Ian's trembling hands. Two weeks ago the prison docs had the great idea to switch Ian from lithium to valproate. With the change came the tremors and relentless exhaustion.

Sensing the older man's unease, Ian folds his hands in his lap. "Good visit?"

Mickey shrugs. "Not bad. Kinda stupid though. Yo-" Mickey starts to say 'your brother' but then he remembers Carl's pleading with him not to tell Ian. And the last thing Ian needs right now while his body is adjusting to new meds is more stress about a situation that he has not control over. "You wouldn't believe it. Fuckin' Iggy."

Ian lets out a tired smirk. "Yeah? What did he want?"

"Girl advice," Mickey snickers.

"Girl advice?" Ian repeats with a laugh.

"Yeah, kinda fucked up. But the visit wasn't a complete waste of time. He said he's going to get put some money in my commissary account. That way I can get you some B-1 or something to help you out while your body gets sorted out."

Ian shakes his head. "No, Mickey. You can't. You already drowned your commissary account getting me Gatorade, crackers, and other shit. I can't let you ask your brother for more."

"Hey," Mickey says as he situates himself between Ian's long legs, placing his hand over Ian's trembling one. "Don't fucking worry about it. I got this. Trust me."

Mickey leans down to kiss him. Once they break apart, Ian looks up at him. "I trust you. Always had."


	2. The 411

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Um…guys," Kelly says. "I don't mean to sound like an idiot, but who is Mickey Milkovich?"  
> Her question is met with dropped jaws and dumbfounded looks from all the Gallagher siblings.
> 
> Kelly hears the story of Ian and Mickey...

"Dinner's ready!" Lip calls as he slams the oven door.

Carl and Kelly come racing downstairs. They're definitely in need of some nourishment after a long day of West Point prep and other…stuff. They're already making their plates before Lip can even finish setting the food out on the table.

"Jesus. Slow down, Carl." Lip says as Carl grabs a spoonful of potatoes from the bowl Lip is holding.

"Can't. I'm starving. That's what boning all days does to you."

"Eww, gross." Liam says shaking his head as he digs into his mashed potatoes.

"I thought you were too stressed to have sex," Debbie says as she makes a plate for Frannie.

"Yeah, you figured that shit out with Kassidi?" Lip asks he takes his seat.

Carl swallows a mouthful of meatloaf before he continues. "I did. Kelly and I just finished putting our plan into motion. This time tomorrow I should be well on my way of being free from Kassidi. Once and for all."

"Oh good," Debbie says shaking her head. "I can sleep easy now."

"Maybe not," Carl says with a smirk. "Kelly and I have to make up for lost time for when I was preoccupied."

"So what did this plan entail?" Lip asks. "You know what, scratch that. I don't want to know. The less I know the better."

"Same here," Debbie says.

"Me three," Liam adds.

"You guys have nothing to worry about," Carl reassures his siblings. "I talked with Mickey."

"Mickey?! As in Milkovich?" Debbie exclaims.

Carl nods as he takes a third piece of meatloaf.

"The last I heard he was in South America," Debbie says pouring herself a glass of juice.

"I heard he was in Baja," Liam says.

Carl shakes his head. "Nope. He's back up here. I went down to Beckman to see him."

Debbie's about to feed Frannie a spoonful of corn when her arm freezes midair. "Wait, did you just say Beckman Correctional? As in where Ian is?"

"Uh huh," Carl replies nonchalantly. "Same place."

"Wait? How is that even possible?" Debbie asks. "How did he get back to Chicago." She turns to Lip. "Did you know about this?"

Lip shrugs. "Uh huh. I heard he rolled on a cartel and in exchange for his corporation, he made a deal with he Feds. Got to choose where he would serve time. He chose Beckman."

"Holy shit," Debbie says as she resumes feeding Frannie. "I can't believe this."

"Um…guys," Kelly says. "I don't mean to sound like an idiot, but who is Mickey Milkovich?"

Her question is met with dropped jaws and dumbfounded looks from all the Gallagher siblings.

"He's Ian boyfriend…well was his boyfriend. Are they boyfriends again?" Debbie asks.

Lip nods. "I think so. A couple weeks ago Ian had this big ass hickey on his neck."

"Ian and Mickey are kinda like the Southside's Romeo and Juliet," Liam starts. "Mickey's father, Terry, is one of the meanest guys in the neighborhood."

"He's a misogynist, homophobic, racist asshole." Debbie adds.

"Mickey was the epitome of the prodigal son. He was basically the next in line to takeover of the Milkovich empire of crime and debauchery. Drugs. Guns. Beating the shit out of anyone he felt like. But somehow, they got together when Ian was like a Freshman in high school," Lip says.

"Mickey's sister, Mandy, was actually Ian's beard back then," Debbie says.

"Yeah, but only after Mandy called Mickey and her other brothers off from killing Ian." Lip adds.

"Wait? Mandy wanted her brothers to kill Ian?" Kelly asks. "Why?"

Lip nods. "Mandy tried to make a move on Ian, when he didn't reciprocate because he likes dick and Mandy has boobs, she got pissed. Said Ian forced himself on her. Obviously, that didn't happen. But Mickey thought it did."

"But then things got cleared up. And some time later Ian and Mickey started up. But it didn't last long. Mickey did a couple of stints in juvie," Lip continues.

"But he and Ian always picked up where they left off after Mickey got out," Debbie says.

"Did everyone know about them?" Kelly asks.

"Oh hell no!"

"Fuck no!"

"Are you crazy?!"

"I knew," Lip confirms. "But it was just me back then. In this neighborhood being gay can get you killed. Ian knew that. After the second time Mickey got out of juvie, shit got really fucked up."

"Isn't that when Mickey married Svetlana?" Debbie asks. "I know Mickey got Svetlana pregnant, but how? Wasn't Ian and him together back then?"

"Mickey got married? He has a kid?" Kelly asks as she tries to keep up with all that's being thrown at her.

Lip nods. "It was right around the time of our last stint in foster care. Ian and I were in that group home. Terry caught them together."

"He did? Fuck! Jesus, Terry didn't kill them?" Carl curses. "I didn't know that."

"Neither did I," adds Debbie.

"Yeah, Terry caught them. Called in Svetlana. Forced Mickey to have sex with her in front of Ian. You know screw him until he turns straight."

"Jesus," Kelly says sadly.

"That's not even all of it," Carl says leaning in.

"No?"

"After Mickey married Svetlana, Ian ran away to join the army." Carl adds.

"The army?" Kelly asks.

"Yeah, when he was younger Ian wanted to go to West Point. Lip was tutoring him," Debbie says almost wistfully. "He was in ROTC."

"But then he ran away to join the military after Mickey married Svetlana. Wow, he really loved Mickey," Kelly says in awe.

Lip nods his head. "He did…does. But Ian's also bipolar."

"He was manic when he ran away. Tried stealing a bunch of shit and ended up going AWOL," Carl says.

"When the army came looking for him, Lip and I went to go find him. It took a little digging, but we found him dancing at some gay club in Boystown," Debbie says. "We almost didn't recognize him. He had a shit ton of make up on. Super skinny. He was high as shit and wouldn't come home with us."

"He was fill on manic," Lip says pouring himself some lemonade. All of this talking is making his throat dry.

"But Mickey brought him home." Liam says proudly.

Lip runs his hand over his younger brother's head. "He did and basically moved in here."

"So they were finally happy?" Kelly asks.

"Well as happy as you can be when Ian is manic and the arrival of a newborn, with Terry safely behind bars," Debbie says.

"What happened next?" Kelly asks eagerly.

"Terry got out."

"Yevgeny, Mickey's kid, was baptized so they had a huge after party at the Alibi. No one knows for sure what was said, but Mickey and Ian got into a fight. The next thing you know, Mickey stands up and announces to everyone. Including his homophonic asshole father that he's gay," Lip says.

"Holy shit!" Kelly says.

"Exactly," Carl says. "It turned into a huge bar room brawl. The cops were called and Terry was hauled away for violating his probation. People still talk about that night around here. It was nuts."

"Then what happened?"

Lip breathes in deeply. "Then Ian crashed."

"Crashed?" Kelly asks confused. "What do you mean?"

"Bipolar disease is hi highs and low lows. After everything that happen at the Alibi, Ian crashed. Wouldn't get out of bed for 3 weeks," Debbie explains.

"Fiona tried explaining to Mickey that Ian needed to see a professional. Get put on meds. But Mickey wouldn't let that happen," Lip says.

"Why didn't Mickey want Ian to get help? I mean if he loved him so much that he came out for him, why wouldn't he want Ian to get better?" Kelly asks.

"I think it's because Mickey did love Ian so much that he didn't want to force Ian to get help. He was afraid he would lose him if he did. Especially after everything that happened between them," Debbie explains sadly.

"So then what happened?"

"Ian did some strange shit," Carl says.

"And then?" Kelly asks prompting for more.

"Ian did some really fucked up shit." Carl replies.

"Like what?" Kelly asks and nervously chuckles. "It can't be that bad."

"Like taking Mickey's kid and going on a road trip," Lip says.

"That was scary," Debbie says. "Mickey was going crazy worrying about them. Svetlana was flipping a shit."

"Ian had a breakdown in Terre Haute and the police were called. We all went to pick him up," Lip says motioning to Debbie, Carl, and himself.

"He spent some time in the psych ward," Carl adds.

"Totally resisted his diagnosis and refused to take his meds," Debbie says. "But Mickey was there."

"Yeah, but then our psycho half-sister called the military on Ian. They came and arrested him for all the shit he did when he was manic," Lip says.

"Wait! You have another sister?" Kelly asks turning to Carl. "You didn't tell me that."

Carl shakes his head. "Yeah, because she doesn't count."

"Anyway, Ian got out. But then he ran away with our mother, Monica. She was able to convince him that he didn't need his meds. That it would be better if he ran away." Liam says.

"Why would your mom not want Ian to take his meds?" Kelly asks.

"Because she was bipolar too. She was never on her meds," Lip explains. "Said she couldn't be herself when she was on them."

Kelly nods. "So Ian ran away…again?"

Debbie nods. "But then he came back. And so did Sammi."

"Sammi?"

"Crazy, bitch half-sister," Carl says for clarification. Kelly nods, motioning them to continue.

"She was pissed that Mickey tried to kill her for ratting Ian out to the MP's," Debbie says as she looks away.

"So Mickey got time for trying to kill Sammi. With Mickey doing hard time, Ian broke up with him," Carl says.

"So that's it?" Kelly asks almost sadly.

Debbie shakes her head. "Not quite. Mickey escaped jail a couple of years ago. Cops actually came here to talk to Ian. They thought Mickey contacted him or something."

"Did he?" Kelly asks.

Debbie shakes her head, but Lip nods his head. "He did."

"He did?!" Debbie screeches.

"Ha! I knew it!" Carl says turning to Debbie. "You owe me twenty bucks."

"Fuck off," Debbie says. "That was years ago."

"Anyways, they took a road trip to Mexico. Ian came close to following Mickey into Mexico, but he couldn't do it," Lip says

"Wait?" Debbie asks. "Is that where Ian was when Monica died?"

Lip nods with a smirk. "It was."

"So then what happened?" Kelly asks. "How did Mickey get back up here?"

"I don't know all the details. But I guess Mickey made some deal with the feds. He gave up what he knew on some cartel and now he's Ian's cellmate," Lip explains.

"Is Ian happy?" Debbie asks.

"I would say yeah, if he has a big ass hickey on his neck. He's probably getting laid all the time," Carl says with a shrug.

Lip laughs. "Disgustingly so. He always has that shit eating grin on his face whenever I see him."

"Good," Debbie says as she goes back to feeding Frannie. "He deserves it."

"They both do," Lip says as he swallows a bite of meatloaf.

XXXXX

Later that night when Carl and Kelly are in bed, Carl pulls Kelly towards him and sniffs her hair. He's in the same bedroom that he's always been in and he's brought back to a time from long ago. Back to when Mickey basically moved into their tiny ass bedroom after Ian came back the first time.

You love Mickey?

I like the way he smells.

Lightly floral. Not too strong, but just enough. Perfect.

"Did you just sniff me?" Kelly asks tiredly.

Carl tries to sound offended. "What? No, I'm not sniffing you."

"Whatever you say," Kelly says as she snuggles into his neck. "Weirdo."

As Kelly's breaths even out signaling, she's asleep, Carl breathes in the scent of her hair again.

Yep, he likes the way she smells.

This is it. Love. It may not be what Ian and Mickey have, not many have that. But it may be, in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! I actually like the character of Kelly and I think she and Carl could be good for each other if the writers didn't shove them down our throats this early on into their relationship...


	3. Frantic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While in jail, Ian learns that Liam has gone missing...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Here's a little fix it to 9.13 "Lost." I just couldn't leave it like that. Someone has to actually track Liam down...

"Hey, Fiona. " Ian greets, fingers twisting in the payphone's cord. "How are you?"

"Ian…Hey."

Ian bites his lip. Fiona sounds distracted. Like there's something on her mind. "Everything go okay with your public defender?"

"Yeah, everything went fine."

Ian knows something's up. Something that Fiona isn't saying. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Fiona replies quickly. Too quickly.

"Fi…"

"Liam left yesterday morning without saying anything."

"Yesterday?" Ian asks.

"Yeah. And he's not answering his phone. Not for me and not for Debbie. Not even for Lip."

Shit. That's not like Liam. "He always answers his phone. Did you call the police? It's been- "

"I know," Fiona cuts him off. "Look, Ian. I don't mean to cut this short. But I gotta go."

Ian nods even though Fiona can't see him. "No, no. I get it. I'll let you go."

"Okay, talk to you soon. Take care of yourself."

"I will and Fiona?"

"Yeah, Ian?" Fiona replies.

Ian can hear the impatience in her voice. "Please let me know when you find him."

"Of course, Ian."

XXXXX

Mickey can instantly tell that something's wrong when he spots Ian walking back towards their cell. Usually, after a phone call with his family Ian is smiling like an idiot about some stupid shit. Grinning like an idiot about Debbie's brat pointing to a can of beer and saying "Fank."

But not this time. Ian doesn't look happy. Or even upset. Like he just heard of Fiona's latest fuck up. No, he looks rattled. Shit. What the fuck happened? Did Carl do something stupid? Did Lip fall off the wagon?

"What asshole sibling is it? And what the fuck did they do?" Mickey asks as soon as Ian enters their cell.

Ian lets out a frustrated sigh before he answers. "Liam."

"Liam?" Mickey repeats in confusion. From what Ian has told him, the youngest Gallagher has for the most part stayed under the radar. "Isn't he still in diapers?"

Ian rolls his eyes. "Not for the last six years, Mickey."

Mickey thinks back to when Liam was actually still in diapers. Right after he got into Fiona's coke. He hasn't seen him since he was a toddler. And even though he knows the least about the youngest Gallagher, he can't help but worry about the kid. Bad things can happen to kids. And seeing Ian so worked up certainly isn't helping matters.

"What happened?" Mickey asks.

Ian begins pacing in their small cell. "I don't know but Fiona said he's not answering his phone."

That's it? That's what has Ian such a mess?

"He always answers his phone. Always. He's really good about that." Ian says, his pacing speeding up. "I can't go find him with me in here. Just like I couldn't help him before…"

Mickey knows instantly what Ian is talking about when he mentions "before." Back when Liam OD'ed and Ian wasn't around because the mania had a firm hold.

"Ian…Ian." Mickey says. But Ian doesn't respond. Mickey sighs as he steps in front of Ian. "Hey, Gallagher!"

Ian looks up at him in alarm. "Mick. Something could be wrong."

"You need to calm down," Mickey says. "This ain't helpin.'"

Ian shakes his head. "I can't. I can't help anyone stuck here."

"You're right You can't," Mickey says. Not to be an ass but because he's honest. But he still feels like a dick when he sees the hurt look on the redhead's face. "Relax. I'm going to make a phone call."

Ian quirks an eyebrow up in confusion. "A phone call? Mick, Liam's is missing. How is he making a phone call going to help?"

Mickey slaps the other man's cheek lightly. "Calm your balls. Let me handle this."

XXXXX

Liam and Todd are walking back to Todd's house after getting something to eat when Liam spots an older model car pulling up alongside them.

"Yo!" The person from inside the car yells out.

Neither Liam or Todd answer and instead just pick up their pace.

The car continues alongside them. "Yo! Gallagher! I'm talking to you!"

Crap. Probably some loser looking for Frank. What did his father do now?

Liam refuses to look at the car. Maybe if he doesn't look, the guy will get the hint and leave them alone. He begins to run and Todd joins his faster pace. But the car speeds up to match their pace.

"Shit!" Todd curses. "Why the hell is Iggy Milkovich looking for you?"

Curious, Liam stops dead in his tracks. Why is Mickey's brother looking for him? Did something happen to Ian? Is that why his siblings have been blowing up his phone?

"Didn't you hear me calling you?" Iggy asks from the car.

"Uhhh," Liam replies. "Did something happen to Ian?"

"Ian?" Iggy looks confused. Then it clicks. "Your brother is fine. Well, except that he's flipping out because you've gone AWOL."

"What?" Liam asks.

"Your family is looking for you," Iggy continues.

What does his family looking for him have to do with Iggy following him back to Todd's house?

Iggy rolls his eyes at Liam's confusion. "Your sister is going crazy trying to find you. Which means so is your brother, in jail. That means Mickey is all over my ass about tracking you down. Made me turn around on my way to a run in Milwaukee to go looking for your ass. So do us both a favor and call your damn sister."

"Um, okay." Liam replies.

"Good," Iggy says rolling up his window and speeding away. The smell of cheap rubber lingers in the long after Iggy's car disappears from sight.

"Holy shit!" Todd exclaims. "What the hell was that?! Iggy Milkovich was sent looking for you and it ended without you getting the shit beat out of you."

Liam looks at his friend. "Well. My brother, Ian, is kinda with Mickey Milkovich. Has been since I was a baby. I used to share a stroller with his kid."

Todd's eyes go large. "That's true about Ian and Mickey Milkovich? I mean I heard about that. But I didn't know it was true."

Liam nods his head. "Yeah, it's true."

"Damn!" Todd lets out a whistle. "You're basically in-laws with the Milkoviches."

Liam looks toward the direction that Iggy drove off to. "Yeah, I guess I am."

XXXXX

Fiona's folding laundry later than night when she hears her phone. She lunges for it and smiles when she sees the short but at the same time wonderful text.

Liam: I'm okay.


	4. Meeting Again for the First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam tags along with Carl to visit Ian after his little disappearing act and meets Mickey again for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's a follow up to my last chapter. I find it crazy that basically Liam would have little to no memory of Mickey since he was so young during the earlier seasons. Here is the end result of me working through that. Enjoy!

Liam looks at his phone again for the sixth time in two minutes.

"Why are you so nervous?" Carl asks as he sits besides him at the outdoor visiting table. "You've been here before."

Yeah when they all brought Ian and he hasn't been back since. Beckman isn't exactly a bus ride across town. But when Carl said he as going to go see Ian, he decided to tag along. He figures that he should make an appearance after his little vanishing act. Plus, he kind of feels like a shithead. He obviously freaked Ian out enough to get Mickey to have his brothers track him down. It's one thing with his family so wrapped up in their own shit to realize that he was even gone, but it was really shitty to do that to Ian. He couldn't be there for Liam when he was behind bars. Liam knows he would be, if he could.

He's too young to remember Ian before he was diagnosed as being bipolar. Nor does he have any real memories of Ian doing ROTC and working at the Kash n' Grab. But from what he's been told, Ian was always the responsible one. He was not an angel growing up, but he knew enough to stay under the radar. While Lip was scamming SAT scores, Ian was the one who had a legit job. And his diagnosis didn't change that. When he's stable, Ian's the most reliable Gallagher. More reliable and responsible than Lip and even Fiona.

So it shouldn't really come as no surprise that it was actually Ian's doing, even behind bars, that curtailed his little sabbatical.

"Carl! Liam!" Ian calls as he jogs over to them. He hugs Carl first. "It's good to see you guys."

Carl lets go and it's Liam's turn. Ian wraps him in a tight hug and kisses him on the forehead. Liam can't help but smile. It's been years since Ian's done that. They stay in the embrace a little longer and Liam nods silently when Ian asks if he's okay.

"Isn't this fucking precious." Comes a loud, crass voice.

Liam instantly breaks away when he hears the unfamiliar voice. He stands there dumbly as a guy walks towards them. He's shorter than Ian, then again, a lot of people are. But he walks like he owns the place.

"Hi, Mickey." Carl greets.

Liam's head whips from Ian and then to Mickey. So this is Mickey? The Mickey Milkovich. Strange, he knows that just a couple of years ago their lives were so intertwined because of their shared connection with Ian. Didn't they all share a room at one point? Didn't he have play dates with Mickey's kid?

But now he has no real memory of Mickey. Just anecdotes that he hears time to time from his family and other people in the neighborhood. It's like he's meeting Mickey again for the first time.

"You still doing that West Point shit?" Mickey asks. "Big waste of time if you asked me."

"He didn't," Ian replies with a roll of his eyes.

"Doesn't matter anyway. I don't think that shit is going to work out," Carl says.

"Oh shit. Sorry, Carl," Ian says. "What happened?"

"Who cares what the fuck happened," Mickey says. "He's probably better off here." He then turns to Liam. "And you, you little shit."

Liam's eyes go large. He's never been on the other side of a conversation with Mickey. He's heard how Mickey can go off about the littlest things. The janitor in his school has a jagged scar above his eye courtesy of Mickey. Apparently, Juan bumped into him outside of the Alibi like then years ago and Mickey thought he heard him call him a unsavory name under his breath.

"Don't do that AWOL shit again. Buyer backed out after my brother was late. Cost us 8 grand."

Ian put his hand up. "Wait, you called your brother when we couldn't find Liam."

"I couldn't take your bitching and whining anymore," Mickey says with a wave of his hand.

Ian gives Mickey a crooked smile. "Aww, Mick."

Liam can't help but smile himself. He's never seen that smile on Ian before. He's seen the smile Ian gets when he's not really present, when his meds need to be adjusted. And Ian does smile. But Liam has never seen Ian smile like this before. Like the person he's looking at has hung the moon. It's nice.

"Don't give me that stupid look," Mickey snaps.

"Prison make you soft, Mickey?" Carl asks with a shit eating grin. Mickey promptly gives him the finger.

"Liam," Ian says in a serious tone as he turns to his youngest brother. "You can't do that again. Leave without telling anyone. Everyone was worried."

Not everyone.

"Believe me," Ian continues. "I know what it's like to get lost in the mix when everyone is doing their own thing. It sucks. But you can't just run away. We're family and when push comes to shove, we're here for each other. Don't ever doubt that."

"Yeah. We're Gallaghers." Carl adds.

"Gallaghers," Ian repeats.

"You're all a bunch of sappy asshats," Mickey says shaking his head. "I'm getting the hell outta here. Sargant Psycho, don't do anything stupid that would land you behind bars. Despite what you may have heard jail and juvie are not the same. AWOL, knock it off with the disappearing acts. Or if you're going to disappear at least go somewhere warm, like Mexico or Costa Rica."

"Mick…" Ian says shaking his head.

"I'm leavin," Mickey says. He squeezes Ian's upper right bicep and says something softly that only Ian can hear. Ian has that smile on his face again.

The smile remains as Mickey exits the prison yard. Like everyone in their neighborhood, Liam's heard about Ian and Mickey. Just a couple of weeks ago he along with Debbie, Carl, and Lip told Kelly all about the couple's unorthodox love story. But up until now that's all it was, a story. Now seeing them together with his own eyes, he gets it. He gets why even in their jaded and cynical neighborhood, so many people talks about Ian and Mickey's relationship with a sense of awe.

"So what else is new with you guys?" Ian asks turning back to his brothers.

"Debbie is putting the moves on my girlfriend," Carl says.

Ian nods his head. "Yea? What does Kelly say? I thought you guys were pretty tight."

Liam sits as his brothers talk about Debbie's meddling. Carl's talking to the right person. If there's one who knows about long lasting relationships, it's Ian.


	5. Coincidences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation at the Alibi reveals Mickey's location, leaving Vee in a bit of a bind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad you guys are enjoying these little one-shots. I hope you enjoy this one as well!

Vee pours Tommy and Kermit another draft when she hears a commotion coming from the other side of the bar. Iggy and Colin Milkovich have Kenny Palmer pinned against the wall. Yelling at him about payment. Just fucking great. The last thing she needs is to be a witness to an assault. Gemma is raising hell at school. And Amy has had the sudden fetish with sticking shit up her nose. Not to mention it's the first of the month so it's busy at the bar. Kev came home so late last night that they didn't even have sex. Needless to say Vee doesn't have time for this shit.

"Yo Iggy! Colin!" Vee yells. "How many times has Kev and I told you to keep your business out of the bar!"

Jesus, how bad Terry knock his kids around. She and Kev most have told Iggy and Colin at last a dozen times to keep business related "meetings" outside the Alibi's doors.

Luckily, the Milkovich brothers listen to Vee's warning and let go of Kenny. Kenny rushes out of the bar as fast as he could. They're both laughing as they walk up to the bar.

"Shot of whiskey," Iggy says.

Vee pours the shots. "How many times do we need to tell you guys we don't want to hear about the Milkovich family dealings in here, here."

"Sorry," Iggy says after downing his shot. "Mickey's been all over us about collections. Said business was down."

"You've talked to Mickey?" Kermit asks from his spot at the bar.

"Yeah, how much does it cost to call Guat-my -hole now?" Tommy asks.

"Guat what?" Colin asks confused. "What are you talking about?"

Shit. Colin, keep your mouth shut.

"Mickey's not in Guatemala," Iggy says. "He's in Mexico."

Oh thank fuck.

Colin looks at his brother confused. "What are you talking about. No he's not. He's at Beckman."

Shit. Tommy and Kermit are going to put it together.

"He's at Beckman?" Kermit asks.

"Yeah, he's at Beckman Correctional," Colin says motioning for another shot.

Oh. Shit. Maybe they didn't catch it.

"Beckman?" Kermit asks again.

"Hey, isn't that where Ian Gallagher is doing his stint for that crazy Gay Jesus shit," Tommy says.

Shit. They picked up on it. Of course they did. Vee pours herself a shot for herself as she pours Iggy and Colin theirs.

Yes, the Southside knows all about Ian and Mickey. It's talked about here and there in bis and drabbles, but it's not exactly talked about out loud.

"I'm sure it's a coincidence," Vee says right before she downs her shot.

"Coincidence my ass," Tommy says. "Last I heard Mickey was south of the border. Now, he's back in Illinois locked up in the same place as Ian. The same guy he came out for in front of the neighborhood and his father. Bullshit."

"You're seeing shit that isn't there," Vee says as she pours herself another shot. "It's not like he asked to be locked up."

Except that's exactly what it is according to Kev. Damn, Kev. A couple of months ago he came in the middle of the day all doe eyed, talking about true love and pulling her into a tight embrace. A couple of rounds later, Vee asked what brought that on. Not that their sex life isn't healthy but it's definitely not like how it was before the girls. Definitely not in the middle of the day, in the kitchen when they should have been at the Alibi. So of course she had to ask Kev what spurred their sudden rendezvous. Kev told her all about Mickey cutting a deal with the Feds so that he can be locked up with Ian.

It's sweet. She knew Mickey had it in him. She saw it a couple of times. Especially when Ian came back after he ran away. Well, after Mickey brought him back according to Kev.

"But he asked to get moved back up here," Iggy says.

Jesus A. Here she is tripping all over herself to make the whole thing sound like one giant coincidence, only to be sabotaged by Iggy and Colin, Mickey's own brothers.

"Hmmmm," Kermit says taking a sip of his drink. "I wonder if they're bunking together."

"They are," Colin says.

And she's done.

XXXXX

Kev is in in the fridge, leaning in to look for something to eat when Vee pinches him painfully in the ass. He lets out a loud yelp. "Vee, why the hell did you do that for? You know I hate it when you pinch me."

"That's for telling me all about Mickey getting locked up back up here to be with Ian," Vee says as she pinches Kev again on the upper arm.

"Owww! Fuck Vee!"

"And that's for making me having to play stupid. Like I didn't know about Mickey getting locked up to be with Ian."

"I'm confused," Kev says rubbing the spot she just pinched. "what the hell are you talking about?"

"Dumb ass Iggy and Colin were roughing up Kenny Palmer."

"I told them to keep that shit out of the bar," Kev says taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"I know you did and I reminded them. They said that Mickey was all over them about business being down. That came as a shock to Tommy and Kermit since they thought that Mickey was down in Central America. But then Colin cleared that up by saying he was in Illinois at Beckman."

"Shit. Do you think they picked up on it?" Kev asks.

Vee rolls her eyes. "Yeah, think they did. Especially when Iggy said Mickey asked to be put at Beckman."

"What did you say?"

"I played stupid," Vee says. "Like it was just a coincidence."

"Welcome to my life. I've had to play stupid like I didn't see and hear a lot of shit over the years."

Kev's right. He has seen and heard a lot of shit, only to play dumb. They both had. They would have been blind not to see the thing going on between Ian and Mickey. Mickey was a complete disaster when Ian ran away all those years ago. For someone who was a newlywed with a baby on the way, he sure did get his fill at the Alibi. Not leaving until Kev had to all but throw him out.

And then there was the fact that Mickey basically moved into the Gallagher house when Ian came home. Was hanging out with Ian next door while Svetlana just delivered their kid.

"I guess you're right," Vee says softly as she slides between Kev's legs, kissing him on the lips.

Yes, she and Kev saw and heard a lot. But they stayed quiet about it. It's not their story to tell. She and Kev went through a lot of fucked up shit, but they have nothing on Ian and Mickey. So, if she has to play dumb for the sake of Ian and Mickey, so that maybe they can find a little bit of happiness, then her lips are sealed.


End file.
